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converting a regular cooler into a thermo electric cooler

jliujliu Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 7,055
in Cigar 101
I have two 150 quart Igloo coolers that I would like to convert into thermo electric coolers. Anyone know how I can achieve this? I really really want to get this done before it heats up.
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  • kuzi16kuzi16 Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 14,471



    this thread my help: CLICK


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  • madurofanmadurofan Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 6,152
    Wow, blast from the past right there. I re-read that old thread. We put a lot of thought into that. In the end I ended up buying 2 Vino-Temps and although they were great at maintaining temp, I battled humidity issues almost daily with them. I tried a cigar oasis / beads combo. Just beads. Xikar Gel / Beads combo, just gel. Nothing would stabilize those things. I could have 80% one day and 50% the next.

    I gave up and moved to a better climate (from the beach of VA to the mountains of VA). I now have one of these:
    http://www.mikescigars.com/product-details/rocky-patel-humidor-armada/each

    and these:
    http://www.amazon.com/Cigar-Savor-Humi-Disc/dp/B008K4BUUC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_4/191-6332037-7455269

    And everything stays around 65% as it should.
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  • Gray4linesGray4lines Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,439
    madurofan:
    Wow, blast from the past right there. I re-read that old thread. We put a lot of thought into that. In the end I ended up buying 2 Vino-Temps and although they were great at maintaining temp, I battled humidity issues almost daily with them. I tried a cigar oasis / beads combo. Just beads. Xikar Gel / Beads combo, just gel. Nothing would stabilize those things. I could have 80% one day and 50% the next.

    I gave up and moved to a better climate (from the beach of VA to the mountains of VA). I now have one of these:
    http://www.mikescigars.com/product-details/rocky-patel-humidor-armada/each

    and these:
    http://www.amazon.com/Cigar-Savor-Humi-Disc/dp/B008K4BUUC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_4/191-6332037-7455269

    And everything stays around 65% as it should.
    That sucks that the wine fridge didn't work out... I thought about going that route! But I just built a cooler, and it's working great. Super easy.

    After reading that thread, it seems like the thermo-electric devices put out some pretty good heat on one end... would that be safe next to a plastic cooler? Sounds like a melted cooler.

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  • madurofanmadurofan Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 6,152
    Another member on this forum bought them from me, Hell if I can remember his name but I hope he had more luck.

    The temperature and cost is what finally scared me away from the peltier setup. Kuzi and I were always talking about wooden humidors, I'm not sure about the platic either ...
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  • xmacroxmacro Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,402
    madurofan:
    Another member on this forum bought them from me, Hell if I can remember his name but I hope he had more luck.

    The temperature and cost is what finally scared me away from the peltier setup. Kuzi and I were always talking about wooden humidors, I'm not sure about the platic either ...
    ha! I remember you sold those two dual-temp vinotemps to me for $100 plus shipping. Ugh, I could never stabilize the RH either in those damn things; it would always dribble up or down to the other zone and would always be off in the top or botton. Sold one off for $55, offered the guy $45 on the other, he wouldn't take it. Gonna try and sell the second for $50 or so when I remember to print up some flyers, otherwise it's just gonna sit under my countertop forever Stick out tongue [:P]

    EDIT (also heavily edited the paragraph above): In the end, I didn't give up on wineadors, I just moved to a single set-up, a 28-wine bottle model without duel zones. After pulling out the racks and building my own spanish cedar shelves, it works just fine - found out that I had to pull out my cigar oasis/hydra unit because the RH was too high. Turns out the water produced by the conduction coil or whatever it is, provides too much moisture for the cigars, such that I need to have heartfelt beads on every shelf to absorb the humidity. Once that got calibrated, my RH sticks around 68%.
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  • madurofanmadurofan Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 6,152
    xmacro:
    madurofan:
    Another member on this forum bought them from me, Hell if I can remember his name but I hope he had more luck.

    The temperature and cost is what finally scared me away from the peltier setup. Kuzi and I were always talking about wooden humidors, I'm not sure about the platic either ...
    ha! I remember you sold those dual-temp vinotemp to me. Ugh, I could never stabilize the RH either in those damn things; it would always dribble up or down to the other zone and would always be off in the top or botton. Sold one off; gonna try and sell the second when I remember to print up some flyers
    Eh my bad. I think the deities that parts of me are longer than my memory. I don't believe you can say you weren't forewarned. My struggles were well documented. None-the-less I feel bad. I hope you didn't lose much money on them.
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  • xmacroxmacro Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,402
    Nah, didn't lose much of anything. Gonna sell the other one eventually; in the mean time, it's been a nice table Stick out tongue [:P]
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  • madurofanmadurofan Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 6,152
    Ha. Nice. Sorry you didn't have better luck than I. Whatcha using now?
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  • xmacroxmacro Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,402
    I picked up a 28 bottle wine cooler from Wine Enthusiast, got it for $300 shipped. Stuck an air filter on the back in front of the fans, and I move it around to a new clean area on the filter every 6 months or so when the area directly above the fans starts looking dirty (heard wineadors burn out due to dirt, that an air filter can help prolong the life of the unit)

    Originally stuck a Hydra in there to keep up the RH, but the RH was too high, so I took it out and stuck in some heartfelt beads; turns out the water produced from the cooling coils produces plenty of water and humidity, so I didn't even need the Hydra. Wound up taking it out and unplugging the drain hole, and just using heartfelt beads. Everything's steady at 65F/68% RH

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  • madurofanmadurofan Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 6,152
    Nice. Well played. It's all about experimenting to get it right. I just moved to a better climate. My cigars appreciate it.
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  • Gray4linesGray4lines Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,439
    madurofan:
    Nice. Well played. It's all about experimenting to get it right. I just moved to a better climate. My cigars appreciate it.
    Please tell me that you moved for the sole benefit of your cigars! Haha
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  • madurofanmadurofan Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 6,152
    Gray4lines:
    madurofan:
    Nice. Well played. It's all about experimenting to get it right. I just moved to a better climate. My cigars appreciate it.
    Please tell me that you moved for the sole benefit of your cigars! Haha
    Ha, it was a top 3 factor for me. For my wife it was about being closer to her family.
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  • jliujliu Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 7,055
    Ahh yes. I chucked this idea. I decided to go w an avallo cooled ddd+. Wanna just be done w it
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